Just Showing Up

I spent my whole life hearing about how to do evangelism. We loaded the gun plenty of times, but nobody knew how to pull the trigger. And who would want to? It's dangerous. But because Jesus has changed my life through the gospel, I believe that He can and will do the same for others. So when the Holy Spirit talks, listen.

All we did was show up. Jesse and I stumbled across Herman Park one Wednesday evening in the summer. Others from the Crew joined us. There are teens in Cleveland that I have known for months and years even, but there are still enemies of God today. No, this was different; God sent us to Herman to get what was His.

Today we know more than twenty-five teens from Herman. Just being there are doing life with them, they have been impacted by what makes us different, who Jesus has formed in us, and why we even care. Now the ladies are meeting on Tuesdays, we are still having pick-up ball on Wednesdays, and Man Time is on Thursdays.

So many have wanted to come to church that we have started a new service in an old church building on the west side, 52nd and Franklin. God turning these lives upside down. Ja'juan became a believer at camp on Saturday, September 17th; Ashley did the same in the park on Wednesday, September 28th. We have never been indirect about the gospel. Pray now as Mike has answered the call to count the costs.

Luke 14:25-33

"Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them: 'If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, and even his own life - he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, "This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish."

Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple."